End effectors for use in assembly systems have been known in the prior art for many years. Generally, in many automated assembly systems, devices are used for holding and placing components and parts in a specified place so that a manufacturing, finishing or other intermediate step can be performed on the product being assembled or worked upon. These automated assembly systems generally employ many robots that minimize or eliminate the need for manual intervention, thus reducing the cost to the manufacturer of the labor and parts involved. The components used and made in such automated systems are typically made or moved by a robot via an arm or wrist all of which are well known methods in the prior art. Some of these methods may include having an end effector attached to the end of a robot arm and acquires a particular part. The end effector then either releases the part during the work or holds the part steady in a pre-specified position during the actual operation on the part. Other methods include using the robot arm or wrist to hold a tool to actually perform work on a part that is being held by other robots or other components in predetermined positions.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 7,609,020, issued Oct. 27, 2009 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,023, issued May 10, 2011, both entitled “Geometric End Effector System”, the specification and drawings of which are expressly incorporated by reference, illustrate an improved modular geometric end effector system that proposes a cost effective method of replacing and repairing each component connected to a robotic cell on the end effector of a robotic arm, wrist or the like. While this type of system utilizes a breakaway column system, it is not possible to determine the stress and strain on the particular end effector. Thus, it would be desirable to gain electronic feedback on the status of the jig, fixture or end effector built with the system. Also, it would be desirable to allow the jigs, fixtures or end effectors to become an add on system that, if possible, can determine if the operations are proceeding as normal or are not normal.
The present disclosure provides the art with such a device. The present disclosure provides electric feedback as to the status of the jig, fixture or end effector built into the system. Also, the boom enables jigs, fixtures or end effectors to become an add-on system capable of processing whether or not the operations are being conducted satisfactorily or if the operation is not normal.